Entries from March 2008 ↓

Both my girls have the exact same "Leapster" videogame. One of them is in my car. Over dinner I decided to mess with the 5yr old's head. They are the exact same.

"One of your Leapsters is in my car."

"Is it the one with Finding Nemo?"

"I don't know, I didn't turn it on. It was the pink one."
They are both identical, you see.

"But did it have the Finding Nemo cartridge?"

"I didn't notice, sweetie. I just know it was the pink one. Which one of you has the pink one?" I'm waiting for it to dawn on her that they are both pink, and that saying the pink one isn't really a clue.

"Daddy, neither one of them is pink, they're more purple. But that's ok, I know what you meanted."

So last night, for the first time in a long time, I decided to get the Wrestlemania PPV. It was to be Ric Flair's retirement match, and that alone was worth the price of admission. I figure the show starts somewhere around 7:30 or so, with a bunch of previews to lead up. I wonder aloud to Kerry over dinner how this will work, since everything is "On Demand" these days – will I actually have to be sitting at the TV right when it starts, or will it be the sort of thing that just turns on, and I get to watch it whenever?

Around 6:30 or so I start looking for it on the On Demand Guide (which has its own button on my remote control, after all), and I can't find it? Odd. I find a number of things called Wrestlemania, all of which are "free previews." Never the actual event. I wonder if, because it is live, that I will be able to turn it on closer to the start time. Seems odd to me, but the evidence is there in front of me, I can't see it.

Finally as it approaches 7:45 and I've checked the website to see that the show started at 7pm, I call Comcast. What follows is the gist of the conversation:

"I can't find Wrestlemania on my On Demand Guide."

"I'm sorry to hear that, sir, would you like me to go ahead and order that for you over the phone?"

"Why can't I find it?"

"I don't know, sir, but I can order it for you right now."

"Well did it start 45 minutes ago?"

"Yes."

"And will I be able to start it from the beginning?"

"No, sir. But after it is over, it plays again from the beginning."

"So you're telling me to watch 3/4 of it, and then at midnight, go back and watch the first hour?"

"I'm just saying that it repeats, sir."

"Ok, I guess I'll order it. So how do I find it?"

"Turn to channel 401."

"401? How would I have ever known that?"

"I don't know, sir. Is it on?"

"Yes. Cool. Thanks. Now this is being recorded, right? Like when I get other On Demand shows and they are in my DVR section?"

"No, sir. You'll need to press your record button."

"And then I'll be able to change the channel?"

"No, sir."

"Is this in HiDef?"

"No, sir."

Oy. Something dawned on me after — not all PPV is "On Demand". Wrestlemania is still an old fashioned "event" PPV where you have to sit and watch it live. I'd forgotten those exist. I just assumed that once it had begun, I would be able to watch it whenever. I also learned later that it was broadcast in HD as well, but that cost extra money – something the operator never told me.

As another blog just put it, "Now's the time on American Idol where it gets boring." There's a bunch of people floating around the middle that we just know aren't going to win, the question is merely which will go home first.

Personally I like David Cook, he sings in a style that I typically listen to. Of course, the downside is that what he sings every week sounds the exact same as every other week, and I expect that he will not rise to Daughtry-like heights. I bet the younger David has a stronger chance at winning it.

What was up with the country girl singing God Bless the USA and having the judges rave about the brilliance of it? Sure, it was a brilliant song in 2001 when American flags were sold out all around the country. But these days it just conjures up images of NASCAR races and guys with rifle racks and confederate flags in the back of their pickup. But I suppose that's who's doing the voting.

This week Chikezie is the first contestant in the bottom three. I thought Michael Johns or Ramiel would be next, but it's actually Syesha. This is a surprise to everybody. Personally I don't like her, just doesn't do anything for me, but I suppose she can actually sing. Last comes Jason, the dreadlock kid, who treats his place in the bottom three as a "shocker". Not really, Jason. Maybe unexpected this week, but your week is coming soon.

And then Jason's the first to sit down, leaving Syesha and Chikezie, showing that the voting clearly has nothing to do with the judges opinion as they loved Syesha and hated Chikezie. Personally I think it has to do with when the contestants open their mouth to talk back to the judges. Last week Amanda basically said "I don't care about Idol, I just want people to come see my show." And she's gone. This week it was Chikezie who, upon being called out for being cheezy, replied "But they [the audience] are who I'm singing for!"

Cheezy. And you're gone. I never liked him, because he breaks one of my standing rules for American Idol – if you start calling yourself by one name, I hate you. The only one who might have had a shot at that was Fantasia, and everybody still knows her last name is Barrino.

Seems that Cheryl Burke was busted, in the act, fooling around with Drew Lachey. Drew's married, if you recall – his wife was pregnant during his season and if I remember the timing actually gave birth during the last weeks.

Comments Off on [BlogEntry] Dancing with the Stars : Cheryl and Drew Affair!

I am way behind in my American Idol posts, so I thought I'd just do the results shows to catch up. This week was Beatles week, although technically they kept calling it Lennon/McCartney week.

Your bottom three are Syesha, David Hernandez, and Kristy Lee Cook. The most interesting thing this week is the whole gay stripper thing hanging over David's head. Sure enough, he's the one to go. Which makes the conspiracy theorists go nuts. Is it fixed? Is it a little too coincidental that the controversial contestant is gone so fast? Or is that really America showing its intolerance? Or could it just possibly be that he was the worst singer this week?